The Seventh Cross

They don't make them like this anymore
What a pleasant surprise when I first viewed "The Seventh Cross." I thought the movie might be good, but simply "good" does not adequately describe this film. It is superb. The acting is excellent, especially for a movie of its time. But what else would you expect from Spencer Tracy, Hume Cronym, Jessica Tandy, and Agnes Morehead? Even the bit characters played their parts very well. The story is suspenseful and easily keeps your interest. Of the more than 250 movies in my private library, this is one of the best. Every movie lover should watch this film, and if you, like I, enjoy stories built around the World War II era, "The Seventh Cross" is an absolute "must see." They just don't make movies like this anymore.

Classic War Film for All Ages
As a university film history instructor, I watch many films, most of which are soon forgotten by instructor and student alike. The Seventh Cross is one that stays with you long after the end credits have rolled. Zinnemann is not a popular director at the moment, although why he is not studied more escapes me. While a sentimental director, to be sure, he is a master of the defining moment in human beings. The Seventh Cross and the Search should be mandatory viewing for every American.

Conquering the Captive Mind
This is a good WWII vintage movie that makes a sombre and serous attempt to explore the captive mind of Fascism. It stars Spencer Tracy as one of seven concentration camps escapees in Germany. The commandant has sworn that he will nail each of the escapees to the seven crosses he has made. The bulk of the movie focusses on George Heisler (Tracy's character) and his efforts to find someone on the outside he can trust to help him. One by one the crosses are filled and Heisler's search becomes more and more desperate and depressing. No one seems to want to stick their neck out and help him. In time, things reach a crisis point and, in the midst of dispair, hope and trust appear. The movie becomes an uplifting message that transcends that of the typical WWII era movies.

Initially I reacted somewhat negatively to the narrow scope of the movie. After all, making the audience uncomfortable about the intended death of seven concentration camp inmates seemed to miss the...

Click to Editorial Reviews